Dye spring centres

ABSTRACT

For providing a square end on a dye spring centre of the type comprising a helical main spring having a wire lacing the turns of which extend between the adjacent helices of the main spring, the invention provides an end adapter defining an annular channel which fits on the terminal helix of the dye spring centre and in which are protrusions of different heights to engage the terminal helix and hold the adapter square.

it tate Mearns Nov. 12, 1974- M DYE SPRING CENTRES 3.151342 11/1964 Kitumura 267/6 I v 5 Inventor: Henry Michael Kearns, ulrgwin 3169.757 2/1965 Roder e! dl. -67/00 Dunbah Ln., Macclesfield, Great Britain Primary Examiner-James B. Marbert [22] Fixed: Feb. 1973 Attorney, Agent, or FirmRoss. Ross 84 Havm [21] Appl. No.: 334,106

[57] ABSTRACT Foreign Application Priority Data For providing a square end on a dye spring centre of Feb. 25, 1972 Great Britain 8752/72 the type comprising a helical main spring having a wire lacing the turns of which extend between the ad- [52] US. (ll. 267/179, 267/60 jacent helices of the main spring, the invention pro- [51] llnt. U Flfii 11/112 vides an end adapter defining an annular channel [58] Field of Search 267/60, 179 which fits on the terminal helix of the dye spring centre and in which are protrusions of different heights to [56] References Cited engage the terminal helix and hold the adapter square.

UNITED STATES PATENTS I 2,676,794 4/1954 Griffith et al 267 60 6 C films no Drawmg F'gm'es HUVIZIQM 3,847,380

MENTED sum 2 BF 2 DYE SPRING CENTRES substantially shallower than that of the rest of the helices; however, they do not lie in a plane to which the dye spring centres axis is perpendicular, to and they have a slight gradient. 4

Because of this, certain difficulties or disadvantage arise in the practical use of the centres. For example, they cannot readily be fitted to existing winding machines or the winding mechanisms of false twisters and like yarn texturising machines. In the latter machines, for instance, the winding mechanisms are usually designed for relatively rigid paper or plastics tubes and embody two aligned tube end caps, one of which is spring-loaded towards the other, which engage into the ends of the tube. These end caps will not fit reliably into the ends of a dye spring centre, because such ends are not square (as has already been explained) and even if secure fitting is initially achieved, the tension of the yarn beingwound onto the dye spring centre causes flexure of the latter sothat it will spring out of the end caps.

Attempts have been made to overcome this difficulty by providing, for the dye spring centre, a central tube or mandrel having radially projecting vanes which serve to support the dye spring centre against flexure, but this eventuality is relatively expensive.

A further difficulty arises when the dye spring centres are used for dyeing or in other'liquid treatment processes. A number of the centres, with yarn packages thereon, are assembled on a perforate spindle, and

axial pressure is applied thereto to cause the centres to contract in theaxial direction until the end faces of the adjacent yarn packagesabut tightly against one another. Appropriate treatment or dyeing medium then supplied through the perforate spindle passes through the packages and dyes the yarn and/or sets the same. If the dye spring centres are of larger'inside diameter to any substantial degree than the outside diameter of the perforate spindle, the dye spring centres and the yarn packages cannot be precisely axially aligned and the end turns of the centres press into the adjacent packages. Even if the packages are axially aligned, it is almost impossible to prevent the extreme ends of the end helices of the main springs from'pressing into the adjacent packages. Where the yarn is contacted by part of the dye spring centres, unsatisfactory treatment of the yarn occurs, and this can result in a substantial proportion of the yarn in the package being wasted.

An object of the present invention is to provide means applicable to the ends of such dye spring centres to square off the ends thereof and providing for accurate alignment thereof on a hollow perforate spindle, whereby spoiling of the yarn in dyeing or other liquid treatment is minimised, the arrangement lending itself to use in winding machines so that when employed with a dye spring centre having a main spring which is not readily deflected the use of a mandrel is rendered unnecessary.

With this object in view, the present invention provides an end adapter, for a dye spring centre of the type referred to, comprising a centrally apertured end disc having, at one side thereof, a pair of concentric flanges defining between them an annular channel for reception therein of the terminal helix of a dye spring centre, there being, in said channel, a series of spaced-apart locating protrusions, of progressively increasing effective height, for engagement with corresponding portions of the said terminal helix of the main springbetween adjacent lacings therearound, to locate the end disc in a plane to which the dye spring centres axis is perpendicular.

The spacing between the flanges may be such that the terminal helix of the dye spring centre is a friction or interference fit in the channel. Conveniently, however, retaining protrusions, over which the said terminal helix will snap, are provided on at least one of the flanges.

The adapter of the invention can, if desired, be made of stainless steel. It is, however, preferably of a plastics material.

In the latter instances, it can be produced using a mould having a plurality of alternative cores for producing the central aperture, so that the same mould can be used for producing a range of theadapters for fitting one size of dye spring centre but having different sizes of central aperture for fitting on a range of sizes of perforate dye spindle.

In the adapter of the invention, the locating protrusions may each be in the form of a shallow lug formed integrally with the end disc and projecting substantially centrally of the annular channel.

In order that theinvention may be fully understood, it will be described further, by way of example, with reference to various practical embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that the following description is illustrative, and not limitative of the scope of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation, to a reduced scale, illustrating a typical dye spring centre of the type with which the present invention is concerned;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation illustrating, to an enlarged scale, the upper part of the dye spring centre of FIG. 1 with a first embodiment of the adapter of the invention fitted thereto;

FIG. 3 is an underneath plan of the adapter of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3; v

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3; 1

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but illustrating a second embodiment of the adapter, of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7 also illustrating the second embodiment; and

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 8, but showing athird embodiment of the adapter of the invention.

Throughout the various figures, similar reference numerals have been allocated to similar parts.

Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the dye spring illus trated therein is generally of known form and comprises a helical main spring 20, made of relatively stout spring wire, having a lacing 21 whose turns 22 each extend between the adjacent helices of the main spring 20. As can be seen from the lower part of FIG. I the terminal helices 23 of the main spring have their extreme ends bound to the respective next adjacent helices as at 24 so the pitch of such terminal helices 23 is substantially shallower than that of the rest of the helices; however they do not lie in planes to which the dye springs axis is perpendicular.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 to 7, these figures illustrate a first embodiment of the adapter of the invention, for use on the ends of dye spring centres of the type illustrated in FIG. 2 to square off the ends thereof, FIG. 2 showing the adapter in position on one of the ends of the dye spring centre of FIG. 1. This embodiment of the adapter is made, e.g., by a stamping and pressing operation, from stainless steel sheet which, of course, will not absorb dye and remains unaffected by elevated temperatures such as are employed in dyeing or other liquidtreatment of yarns.

The structure of the adapter is such as to provide a generally planar end disc 25, circular in its external periphery, and having a central aperture 26. The diameter of this central aperture 26 is dependent upon the diam? eter of the perforate spindle (not shown) on which the adapter is intended to be used, and will be of the order of one-eighth of an inch larger than such spindle. Thus, for a one-and-a-half inch diameter dyeing spindle, the central aperture will be one-and-five-eighths of and inch in diameter.

The outside diameter of the end disc is dependent upon the diameter of the dye spring centre on which the adapter will be required to be used, and is slightly larger than the diameter of such dye spring centre, as will be evident from the following description.

Formed integrally with the end disc, so as to protrude from the same face thereof are two flanges, of cylindrical form, these being concentric and comprising an outer flange 27 which joins with the end disc 25 at the outer periphery thereof, and an inner flange 28 which is spaced inwards of the outer flange by a distance substantially equal to the difference between the effective outside and inside diameters of the dye spring centre with which the adapter is intended to be used (see FIG. 2).

It will be understood, therefore, that the two flanges 27 and 28 define between them, at one side of the end disc 25, an annular channel 29 the radial width of which is such that one end of the said dye spring centre will fit therein.

It will be understood, also, however, that an adapter of the form such as has so far been described, if applied to the end of its dye spring, would sit skew thereon, because it would seat by the end disc on the bights of the v lacing turns 22 around the terminal helix 23 of the main spring 20 and the latter is of shallow helical configuration.

project substantially centrally of the annular channel 29 and being spaced apart so that each such locating protrusion will engage with a respective part of the terminal helix 23 of the main spring 20 of the dye spring centre, between the lacing turns 22 around said terminal helix 23, which the adapter has been applied thereto. Considered around the end disc, the successive locating protrusions 30, 31, 32 are of progressively increasing effective axial height as can be appreciated from consideration of FIGS. 6, 5 and 4, the height increments between the adjacent locating protrusions corresponding to the helical pitch of said terminal helix 23 of the main spring 20. Thus, the locating protrusions increase in height from a very shallow protrusion 30 for engagement with the terminal helix 23 near to its extreme end 24, to a relatively tall protrusion 32 for engagement with the terminal helix 23 near to the commencement of the next adjacent helix of the main spring 20.

Accordingly, when the adapter is fitted onto its dye spring centre as shown in FIG. 2, with the end of the dye spring centre fitting into the annular channel 29 and the adapter appropriately orientated for the very shallow locating protrusion 30 and the relatively tall locating protrusion 32 to engage against their correct respective portions of the main spring 20 as discussed in the foregoing paragraph, and the locating protrusion 31 therebetween abutting its respective portion of the main spring 20, the locating protrusions 30, 31 and 33 serve to ensure that the end disc 25 is in a plane to which the axis of the dye spring is perpendicular.

To ensure that the adapter remains in position, once it has been fitted to the dye spring centre, retaining protrusions 33 are provided on the inner flange 28, at equispaced intervals therearound, to project across the channel 29 towards the outer flange 27, as can be seen in detail in FIG. 2. Each such retaining protrusion 33 is in the form of an approximately hemispherical pip or lobe formed by stamping or pressing, and projects radially outwards of the inner flange 28 such a distance that a circle drawn through the tips of such protrusions 33 would be of a diameter just very slightly smaller than the diameter of the terminal helices of the main spring 20 of the dye spring centre. Accordingly, as the terminal helix 23 of the dye spring centre is fitted into the channel 29 of the adapter, such terminal helix 23 yields to pass over and snap behind the protrusions 33, thereby to ensure reliable retention of the adapter in place.

- It will be understood, of course, that two of such adapters are used on a dye spring centre, one being fitted to each end thereof.

Dye spring centres fitted with such adapters fit accurately upon their perforate spindles, in good axial alignment, so that when they are axially compressed for yarn packages carried thereby to be pressed tightly against one another there is no possibility of the yarn being contacted by the dye spring centres and/or the adapters. Accordingly, spoiling of the yarn is substantially eliminated.

It will be appreciated, also, that dye spring centres fitted with the adapters of the invention and incorporating relatively stout main springs which will not readily deflect or distort when subjected to axial compression can be employed with advantage in the winding mechanisms of yarn texturising machines and on other winding machines, without the need for providing supporting mandrels.

Where the adapters as described are used in the dyeing of yarns, there is, of course, a small risk of dye residue remaining in the channel 29 at the end of the dyeing operation, and that this residue might become transferred to, and cause spoiling of, yarn subsequently treated on the dye spring centres on which such adapters are fitted. For this reason, closely spaced openings 34 are provided through the outer flange 2'7, and these enable the channel 29 to be thoroughly washed free of residues. Comparable openings (not shown) may be provided through the inner flange 28.

The above-described embodiment of the adapter of the invention is made of stainless steel. It is, however, possible for the adapter to be made from other materials. For example, it may be moulded of a plastics material (such as that marketed by lmperial Chemical lndustries Limited under the designation TPX") which will not absorb dye, which is not affected by elevated temperatures such as are employed in the dyeing of textile yarns, and which is readily mouldable byinjection moulding techniques.

FlGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a second embodiment of the adapter made of such a plastics material from which it will be seen that the protrusions (of which the protrusion 32 is visible in FIG. 8), instead of being formed by depressions or pressed-out portions of the end disc 25, are formed as integrally moulded lugs, as also are the retaining protrusions 33.

The use of moulding techniques for the production of the adapter of the invention is particularly advantageous since use can be made of a single mould having a plurality of exchangeable cores corresponding to the central aperture for production of a range of the adapters for fitting a predetermined size of dye spring centre and having different sizes of central aperture. Thus, the same mould can be employed for producing both the adapter of FIGS. 8 and 9, and that of HG. it). As will be evident from the latter figure, this third embodiment of the adapter is shaped to provide an inwardly directed annular extension 38 of the end disc 25 past the inner flange 28, providing a relatively smaller-diameter central aperture as for the end disc 25 correlated with the perforated tube with which the adapter is desired to be used.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing examples, and variations may be made thereto. For instance, the locating protrusions 30, 31, 32 provided in the channel 29 can, of course, be of any suitable configuration to locate the end disc 25 in a plane to which the dye spring centres axis is perpendicular, and it will be appreciated that the retaining protrusions 33 can be dispensed with if the width of the channel is such that the end of the dye spring centre is a friction or interference fit therein. Of course, similar retaining protrusions may be provided on the outer flange 27 instead of or in addition to those on the inner flange 28.

I claim:

1. An end adapter for a dye spring centre having a terminal helix comprising: a centrally apertured end disc having at one side thereof a pair of concentric flanges defining between them an annular channel for reception therein of the terminal helix of the dye spring centre, a series of spaced-apart locating protrusions disposed in the channel and having progressively increasing effective height for engagement with corresponding portions of the terminal helix of the dye spring between adjacent lacings therearound for locating the end disc in a plane to which the axis of the dye spring centre is perpendicular.

2. An adapter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spacing between the flanges is such that the terminal helix of the dye spring centre is a friction fit in the channel.

3. An adapter as claimed in claim 1 retaining protrusions on at least one of the flanges and over which the terminal helix snaps.

4. An adapter as claimed in claim 1 wherein each 10- cating protrusion is in the form of a. shallow lug formed integrally with the end disc and projecting substantially centrally of the annular channel.

5. An adapter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the end disc is formed with an annular inwardly directed extrusion extending past the inner one of the two concentric flanges.

6. An adapter as claimed in claim 1 in which closely spaced openings are provided through at least one of 

1. An end adapter for a dye spring centre having a terminal helix comprising: a centrally apertured end disc having at one side thereof a pair of concentric flanges defining between them an annular channel for reception therein of the terminal helix of the dye spring centre, a series of spaced-apart locating protrusions disposed in the channel and having progressively increasing effective height for engagement with corresponding portions of the terminal helix of the dye spring between adjacent lacings therearound for locating the end disc in a plane to which the axis of the dye spring centre is perpendicular.
 2. An adapter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spacing between the flanges is such that the terminal helix of the dye spring centre is a friction fit in the channel.
 3. An adapter as claimed in claim 1 retaining protrusions on at least one of the flanges and over which the terminal helix snaps.
 4. An adapter as claimed in claim 1 wherein each locating protrusion is in the form of a shallow lug formed integrally with the end disc and projecting substantially centrally of the annular channel.
 5. An adapter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the end disc is formed with an annular inwardly directed extrusion extending past the inner one of the two concentric flanges.
 6. An adapter as claimed in claim 1 in which closely spaced openings are provided through at least one of the flanges. 